Green laser experiment

This week we designed and performed an experiment that will help us to evaluate the performance of green lasers, used in KORUZA units, and potentially modify their use based on the obtained data. Green lasers are crucial part of the KORUZA assembly, serving as a visual aid in the alignment process by guiding the users to adjust positioning of each unit, based on the laser beam emitting from the opposite one.

In particular, we have been interested in the initial angle the laser beam makes in respect to its enclosure. In principle the beam should be parallel to the enclosure, however using lasers at low price point there is some trade of between price and aiming accuracy.

To determine maximal angle, each laser was stably mounted in the same position, taking the small ridge on its enclosure as a guidance and then pointed down the 25m long corridor. Location of the dot was marked on the large sheet of paper, then the laser was rotated for 180 degrees around its central axis and measurement was taken again. The optimal position was determined with the laser measurement device, mounted in the same manner as each of the lasers.

Later, the measurements were taken from the paper, transferred to the coordinate system and visualised.

The maximal and average angle the beam makes with the enclosure was determined. We plan to use the data to optimise the initial alignment procedure, in particular to make laser-adjusting mechanism, responsible for aligning optical and laser beams, more effective to compromise for the initial misalignment of the green laser beam.